


Same Old Lang Syne

by sweetkisses



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Christmas Eve, M/M, Pain, Singer Richie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 00:37:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12947523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetkisses/pseuds/sweetkisses
Summary: It's been 12 years since Richie has seen Eddie and the last place he expected to find him was in the frozen foods section at Derry's local grocery store on Christmas Eve.Song fic based off of "Same Old Lang Syne" by Dan Fogelberg.





	Same Old Lang Syne

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off of same old lang syne by dan fogelberg which is a beautiful song.

Richie shuffled his feet on the rug as he made his way into the warm building. He shrugged off the falling snow, it’s not cold out but it’s cold enough for the snow. He followed the path to the frozen foods section using muscle memory from when he was a child. Now at the age of 30 the rocky road ice cream still sits on the same self, next to the mint chocolate, in Derry’s small grocery store. 

 

He reaches a hand for the rocky road but pauses when he spots a figure out of the corner of his eye. It’s Christmas Eve, late, and he expected no one else to be here. Yet, there’s a small man reading the back of a frozen pea bag. A small man that Richie would recognize anywhere. He feels his heart squeeze.

His legs move faster than his brain and soon he’s standing behind the man. Richie takes a small breath, the man unaware that he is there. He opens his mouth to talk, to say hi, to say anything. It’s a surprise when nothing comes out; if there’s one thing Richie’s mouth is good for its words.

Richie takes step closer, probably a bit too close, but the man doesn’t even notice as he places the bag of peas into his slowly filling cart. Richie reaches a shaking hand out and he wishes his voice would work but instead he touches the man’s sleeve, yanking on it ever so slightly. A sense of fear ventures from both the men as they finally face each other.

Eddie hasn’t changed much. He’s still small and beautiful in every way. His hair is black, a few wet spots from where the falling snow probably landed. He has on a yellow fanny pack, the one Richie bought him back in high school. That makes something twist in Richie’s stomach. There’s a feeling of softness and sadness coming from Eddie. Something that makes Richie’s heart turn as well.

Eddie is still young. Only 30 as well, but there’s a small set of crows feet creeping onto the surface of his skin besides his eyes. He’s clean shaven, and for a moment Richie debates asking if Eddie ever grew facial hair. If he even can. He could tease, he could resort to his past ways but his heart is too heavy to say or do anything in this moment.

Looking at Eddie feels like he’s at a graveyard. That he’s visiting his last life. The headstone cracked at the top, not from the years of damage but from the years of pain. The aftermath of all those years apart. Richie feels himself sinking into the grave itself, begging to be placed into it so that his heart doesn’t feel so lost as he stares at his old lover.

Eddie’s eyes are soft as they stare at Richie. His face is blank, almost confused and unknowing. At first Richie thinks he doesn’t recognize him, that maybe he is forgettable. It only a takes a moment of hesitation before the familiar brown eyes open wide. A grin appears on both of their faces. Richie feels himself warm up inside.

“Richie,” Eddie whispers. His voice is deeper now, not by much. Hearing that voice again feels like standing in quicksand. Richie tries grasping for the voice, reaching for it to save him, but he just sinks deeper.

“Hey Ed’s.” Richie breaths out. His lungs sucking in air as he whispers back. His voice has probably never been so quiet.

Eddie’s face turns into a smile, the crows feet make his eyes look even prettier. He has gotten better with age -if possible. Eddie opens his arms up, as to give Richie a hug, but accidentally knocks into his fanny pack. Eddie’s belongings fall to the floor with a small ‘ _oh_ ’ from both the men’s lips.

Richie smiles softly, chuckles coming out of him as he crouched down and begins to pick up the fallen items. He doesn’t examine them. He just places them into one of his hands and holds his breath. Eddie crowds down next to him, the yellow fanny pack is dull. The threads are holding on by well...threads. The thing looks ready to snap, the zipper is broken and Richie’s eyes hurt from looking at the memory’s that it holds. From Richie’s time to after Richie’s time.

“Always a klutz.” Richie teases, chuckling still.

“I was never the klutz.” Eddie is laughing too. High pitched as ever, his voice is different. It’s different because...because Richie would be able to pick it out of a crowd of millions. It’s Eddie’s voice; something he hasn’t heard in what? 12 years. But it’s also the best sound he’s heard since he was 18 and watched Eddie step onto that plane with a tearful goodbye.

“No, that’s true. You were more of the worrying mom of the friend group. Yet, you were zero percent mom.” Richie jokes and it’s a terrible joke. One that should receive eye rolls and a comment about his annoyance. Eddie takes it the other way, he laughs loudly as if it’s the funniest thing he’s heard in years. Richie can’t help but laugh with him; the smaller man’s laugh is fuel to his own.

It’s an odd moment, lasting until Richie wipes away tears waiting to fall while Eddie actually wipes escaped ones onto his sleeve. They smile at each other as they place the items back into the fanny pack. Richie hates how much he wants to purchase a new one. A pink one because that’s Eddie’s favorite color. Or well it was, he doesn’t know anymore. Richie feels like a knife to the gut would hurt less than that fact.

“Are you visiting Sonia?” Richie attempts conversation. He shoves his hands into his winter coat pockets and hovers over the other man.

“Yes,” is all Eddie says. It’s defeated sounding and Richie nods in agreement. “Are you visiting your mom?” Eddie asks. Richie’s dad, long dead. Slowly the pair makes their way down the aisle, Eddie’s cart noisily in front of them.

“I am,” Richie walks slow, not knowing of their destination and not wanting to ever arrive at it. “She’s sick.” Richie confirms, not bothered by it. He’s just here to say his goodbyes before he shifts himself back to Los Angeles. An event he debates putting on hold if he can just have a bit more time with Eddie.

“I heard, I’m sorry.” Eddie sounds sorry and Richie wonders if maybe it’s not just sympathy for his mom. Richie nods again, not knowing what to say and afraid of the little things he’s thinking of. His brain is wrapping around itself as the feelings and emotions that are running through his body soak into him. 

They arrive the checkout stand. Eddie’s small amount of groceries are scanned and bagged. Richie waits with him since he’s forgotten to grab the ice cream. Oh well, he’ll buy it some other time. It’s not every day he runs into the body of Eddie Kaspbrak.

There’s an awkward silence as they slowly walk outside. Richie pulls his hood up, the snow falling heavier. His boots crunch as he watches Eddie walking slightly in front of him. The cart pushing through the small piles forming on the pavement.

“Want to get a drink?” Richie says. His words leave a scene in the air before they fade away. Eddie glances over his shoulder at him, stopping as they arrive at what Richie recognizes as Sonia’s old car.

“I’d like that.” Eddie smiles. Richie helps load the bags into the trunk before pushing the cart away into a random snow pile.

“You know that’s kind of a dick move.” Eddie teases with a smile. Richie wants to cry at how much he’s missed this.

“I was never much of a saint.” Is all Richie can reply with. He enters Eddie’s car.

They drive around for about fifteen minutes, checking the four bars that Derry has. Of course it’s Christmas Eve so the two men shouldn’t be surprised when they’re all close. Eddie voices a solution.

“The liquor store is opened until six I bet we could get something from there.” He already changed directions, driving them to the store.

“Two bottles of vodka and maybe some rum?” Richie teases back to their go to drinks in high school. Eddie always chugging from a bottle of vodka as Richie sips on some rum. Both lightweights leaning into each other and laughing at nothing and everything until they passed out snuggled next to the other. The good old days. 

Richie jogs into the liquor store and grabs a six-pack of some shitty beer. He rushes and hurried, afraid that he’ll lose Eddie by just being away from him for more than a few minutes. After he pays he grabs the beer and jogs back to Eddie to who sat in his car looking in the mirror and adjusting his hair.

“Trying to look good for me, Ed’s?” Richie teases as he flops down into the seat. Eddie quickly moves with a red blush on his cheeks as he turns to Richie with a smile. They are the only car in the parking lot besides the clerk of the liquor store.

“Don’t call me that.” Eddie reply’s on reflex. It makes Richie’s heart ache. It’s a familiar ache but it’s also been so long since he’s had an ache like this that it almost feels brand new.

“To the nickname Ed’s.” Richie smiles. They each take a beer and crack it open. Richie raises his can. Eddie smiles at him innocently and giggles just a bit as he taps their cans together.

“To you hopefully calling me Eddie for once.” He smiles jokingly.

They smile and take a sip from their cans. They sit in silence, listening to the Christmas songs playing from Eddie’s radio. Neither of them know what to say just nodding, giving glances to each other as they quickly finish their first beer. It’s when they boy pop open a new can that Richie can’t stand the silence any longer. 

“How has New York treated you?” Richie wonders out-loud. Ignoring the memory of when he kissed Eddie goodbye at the airport. Of how they both promised to keep in touch. Of how they haven’t spoken to each other until today.

“It was nice.” Eddie is turning the can over in his hands.

“Was?”

“I moved away. Actually I moved to...to LA.” Eddie says quietly. Richie can feel his heart beating faster against his chest. 

“ _Oh_ ,” Richie breaths. “How long have you been there? You should have called.” They both should have called; years ago. 

“I’ve only been there about a month.” Eddie sips his beer. “I got divorced.”

“Oh,” Richie licks his lips, tasting the nasty beer with his tongue. “I never knew you got married.” The words are bitter from his mouth.

“She was an architect, made nice money but I didn’t love her and she figured it out. So we divorced.” Eddie speaks shortly as if the words he’s saying mean so much more. As if he’s telling a long story in only a matter of seconds. Richie wants to know. He wants to know what Eddie’s story is. He wants to know what happened these last couple of years without them together.

“And you moved to LA?” Richie tries. 

“Figured I could use some sun, the beach and all the things LA has that New York didn’t.”

“Things like me?” Richie attempts, whispering behind his can. Eddie doesn’t answer though. He turns away, looking out the drivers window. Richie looks at him, at his side profile. It’s beautiful as ever. Age has done well to his short Ed’s. He speaks his thoughts. 

“You look great.” Richie tries again, his voice sad. Eddie looks at him with his brown eyes filled with gratitude. Or is it doubt?

“In New York, before I got divorced, I saw you on an album in the record store.” Eddie tells him gently. “Then I went to LA and damn, your face is everywhere. On store fronts, on billboards, on backpacks. Hell I once saw you on the side of a bus.” He says it with a smile.

“You can’t get rid of me,” Richie winks with a tease, he can feel Eddie’s heart ache from across the car, he thinks Eddie can feel his own.

“I did always say that your trashmouth would get you on a poster someday but who would have know it was because you were a great singer.” Eddie chuckles. Richie blinks at him with a smile. Eddie always known he was a great singer. Eddie was the one who always asked to be sang too by Richie whenever either of them had bad nights.

“The fans are great,” Richie doesn’t mention that Eddie is his favorite fan, “but I’ve been traveling a lot. I have no time for friends or...” He trails out with another smile to the shorter boy. “I have decided to take a break for a bit, maybe relax and find someone who can deal with my trashmouth.”

“We both know I’m the only one who could ever deal with it.” Eddie whispers. The car feels suddenly hot. Richie fiddles with his can, crushing the empty ones and adding them into a pile on the floor. He doesn’t look away, keeping his eyes locked on the man that his heart has been beating for. 

They talked for what seemed like hours, flirting slightly and soaking in each other’s warmth. Eddie’s car continues to slowly play Christmas music, Richie laughing and speaking loudly. They are the only people in the world in this moment. They can just turn, drive away together; forever. Like they should have done all those years ago.

Neither of them bring that up though. They talk about other things. They talk about the losers’ club. About high school. About when they were truly happy. All back to when they were together, back to when Richie would smile the brightest and Eddie would laugh the loudest.

They fall into a silence. Having run out of things to say. They sit and stare at each other with a smile on both of their faces. A smile of true happiness. 

“I better get home.” Eddie whispers through the car, his smile falling.

“I should too.” Richie tells him. “When you get back to LA, make sure to find me. Come say hi.” And he digs into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. He grabs one of his business cards he made a million years ago before he got famous.

“Yeah,” Eddie takes it between two fingers, “of course.” He promises. Something that these two men aren’t good at keeping.

“Okay, I’ll see you then.” Richie lays a hand on the door handle.

“You don’t want a ride home?” Eddie asks, leaning closer to Richie and laying a hand on the others arm. It burns warmly. 

“No, I like to walk in the snow.”

“You always did.” Eddie smiles. He pulls at Richie’s arm until the taller boy leans closer to him. Eddie lays a hand on the taller boy’s cheek. It’s so warm, it’s feels so much like home. Richie closes his eyes as he leans down to press their lips together. 

The kiss makes Richie want to cry. When they break apart he wants to cry even more. Instead he smiles and without a word from either boy he slides back into the winter air. His body is warm and as he watches Eddie slowly drive away he feels all the warmth leave him. His chest becomes cold and he shoves his hands into his coat pockets as he tries not to cry. 

Richie keeps watching Eddie’s car, remembering when they were in school. Eddie would let Richie drive it when Eddie was so tired and he knew Richie would get him home safety. Richie remembers looking over at Eddie dozing off against the window. The true feeling of love fluttering into his heart and right now as Eddie turns and disappears from his sight, Richie feels his heart flutter sadly inside of him.

Richie turns around, walking in the opposite direction back to his childhood home. It’s not as cold out anymore but for someone that is used to the warm weather Richie pulls his jacket closer around himself. He looks up at the sky and watches as the snow that has been falling all night slowly turns into rain.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if there are any mistakes, I didn't edit this. 
> 
> Thank you for reading.


End file.
